HAND ITCH, please help!

[joe1234]

Hello all -

I introduced myself yesterday in this thread (also with pics) ... http://talkpsoriasis.org/showthread.php?t=37810

But specifically please help with my hands! This is awful awful awful... they feel like they're bloated, tight skin, and the itch... oh the itch. It is so much worse than my legs or arms.

Now, I can feel some slight discomfort on my feet, but I find that if I wear socks that my feet are much more manageable than if I'm barefoot. To me that seems that it would be the opposite. ...but even if gloves help, you can't wear them all the time.

I don't have a derm appointment till next week, i'm just scared I will lose functionality in my hands or feet but I know that's a worst case scenario... but man alive, never thought I could have so much itch in my hands and how much normal people take it for granted.

[mstaylor]

I know how bad it is no one understands unless they have it just how awful it is. I wake my self up at night scraping my hands on the head board of the bed. Mine swell, feel tight and thump like a heart beat then at times feel like you have them in a fire and you want to cut them off. The only thing that helps me is Atarax for the itching It does help me get a little sleep. You my want to ask your doc for an rx

[kptruck]

Welcome to the site, Im so sorry your hands itch!

I have PPPP so I completely understand what youre going through right now. I get hundreds of itching blisters on my hands and feet. Lets see if we can find something to help relieve the itch!

Some people say if you hold ice that it helps greatly with the itching. I found that when my fingers feel really tight and start to swell that ice helps to keep the swelling down.

I found that taking a luke warm bath with about a cup of epsom salt in the water helps with keeping the skin softer on my fingers and feet.

You can take a knee high or any nylon stocking/panty hose and put about a cup of oatmeal in it, tie it off and take your bath with it. Oatmeal has been very VERY soothing to my itching hands. You can soak the water up with it and then squeeze and play with it in your bath. The oatmeal "slimy goo" squishes out I make sure to rub it all over my hands and itching spots and just let it stay there while I keep playing with it like a stress ball. I do this for about 30 minutes.

Sometimes just running cold tap water over my hands for about 10 minutes has helped to calm it.

I use Gold Bond medicated itch cream on my hands when I first start to feel an itch coming on. Sort of nip it in the bud.

After I take my bath, I use plain vaseline and rub it in. Yep, its greasy! But it holds the moisture in really well and in turn, helps keep the itch down some.

Ive heard Aloe Vera, the actual plant, the goop from the leaf has helped some people too.

I know its so hard. I had days where I cried and cried and cired I itched and hurt so bad. Try cold things to get it calmed down and then some oatmeal, I bet you can even just put a cup of oatmeal in a sink full of water and soak your hands in that for 15-20 minutes and see if that helps at all.

I wish you all the best, hang in there, if the itch gets really severe go to urgent care or even to the emergency room and maybe they can give you something to calm the itch until you can get to your derm appointment. I know the ER gave me Atarax once, which is supposed to help with itching and swelling, it didnt calm mine much and put me to sleep but some people say it kicks the itch in the butt. Dont let yourself be tortured though, go to the ER if it gets too severe!

Hang in there!

[mstaylor]

Oh I forgot to mention keep Petrolium Jelly (vasoline) on them It helps keep the from cracking as bad.

[kptruck]

Oh, another thing I have heard is if you take cool or cold apple cider vinegar put it straight into a bowl and put our hands in it for a few minutes, that it might help. I think someone had said they used some in their bath once and it helped too, not sure. I know once when I was about 16 I was working in a french restaurant as a prep cook and learned I was allergic to jalapeno peppers. I sliced ONE up using just my fingertips and I had a burning itching rash all the way to my armpits and in the ER 2 hours later. After 5 hours of them not being able to find something to stop it, they called poison control, who told them to try apple cider vinegar. So off the to store at midnight the nurse went to buy several gallons to soak me in lol It stunk at the time, but now I love the smell You could give that a try, it INSTANTLY stopped the itch and burning pain that night.

[kptruck]

Originally Posted by mstaylor

Oh I forgot to mention keep Petrolium Jelly (vasoline) on them It helps keep the from cracking as bad.

How have you been doing?

[mstaylor]

Not good but thanks for asking kptruck. I'm waiting for our FDA to approve the Stelara.

[anteek]

Joe, it can be awful, can't it? I thought the rx Atarax helped me to cope, but even some Benadryl might be better than nothing. This last time I used some old fashioned calamine, but my hands act a little out of the pattern, and I don't think I would want you to put it all over your hands. After all, that would dry them out worse, and everyone says you need to keep it moisturized. Too greasy made mine worse, but I had deep real blisters. The ice helped me, and also iced skim milk. A derm told me about using iced skim milk compresses.

Keep trying until something works.

[Just Ducky]

When I see a website like that and the person claims to be a psoriasis sufferer who has found a (ahem) cure...and is "selling" the information, I would keep far away from it.

Look at us. We ALL are p sufferers and when we find something that helps us..what do we do? We come here shouting it to everyone. (And we also all know..just because it worked for one, it may not work for another one).

We have a whole section here, full of home remedies and things that helped people and nobody is asking for a dime. I would try some of those things, before I would pay some socalled sufferer for their "cure".

[MikeK]

Originally Posted by Just Ducky

When I see a website like that and the person claims to be a psoriasis sufferer who has found a (ahem) cure...and is "selling" the information, I would keep far away from it

What Just Ducky said!

[MikeK]

Hi Joe,

Welcome to the board. Nice to meet you.

Originally Posted by joe1234

please help with my hands! This is awful awful awful... they feel like they're bloated, tight skin, and the itch... oh the itch. It is so much worse than my legs or arms.

OH, NO! I'm so very, very sorry. To me, the itch is one of the worst things about having psoriasis.

Here's a couple of suggestions until you can get to the derm:

• Benadryl
• Sarna Lotion (http://www.stiefel.com/productfamily.aspx?id=177)
• I have some friends who swear by Neutrogena's Norwegian Formula Anti-Itch Moisturizer. It has Lidocaine in it. Unfortunately, it's no longer listed on Neutrogena's website and I read on another message board that it may have been discontinued.
• Ice packs (sometimes cool water helps)
• Corn starch
• Anti-itch creams and powders such as Gold Bond.
• Avoid anti-bacterial and deodorant soaps. They tend to irritate my psoriasis, which in turn increases the itch factor. Here's a link to a recent discussion about psoriasis and soap: http://talkpsoriasis.org/showthread....ighlight=soaps. (Use only "free and clear" laundry products for the same reason.)

Several people have already mentioned Atarax (http://www.pdrhealth.com/drugs/rx/rx...x&contentId=61). It's a prescription antihistamine and it really does help relieve the itch. Unfortunately, it makes me very, very sleepy (some people complain that it's makes them "loopy") so I can only take it right before I go to bed.

I hope this helps.

I hope you feel better soon.

Good luck. Keep us posted. Let us know if you have any other questions.

Mike

[androidmaker]

I found that puting hydrocotisone cream, (the cheep stuff) on my hands then putting on a latex glove helps. lucky for me i only have it bad on my right index and thumb and just the tips of the remaining fingers on my right hand. so i just cut off and use the fingers of the glove. i hope this helps.

[Bentcorner]

I don't think you have psoriasis. I've got psoriasis on my hands and it does not look at all like what you have. Here is what mine look like:

http://bentcorner.com/wp-content/15j...hand500365.jpg

It looks like you have red itchy bumps, not scaly plaques. I'd go see a dermatologist and request a patch test to see if you are sensitive to anything.

[RichJ]

Originally Posted by me420

go to the store and get olive leaf extract,take about 6 tablets crush them up and mix it with a little bit of water so it's like a paste,put it on your rash and it will feel alot better it might even go away a little bit depending on how bad your condition is

hi me420,
welcome to the p family. you have meet some of the wonderful people on here and will find alot of great info. welcome and nice to meet you.

have a good day all

richard

[joe1234]

Originally Posted by Bentcorner

I don't think you have psoriasis. I've got psoriasis on my hands and it does not look at all like what you have. Here is what mine look like:

http://bentcorner.com/wp-content/15j...hand500365.jpg

It looks like you have red itchy bumps, not scaly plaques. I'd go see a dermatologist and request a patch test to see if you are sensitive to anything.

Hrmm, I will do so... unfortunately my hands have got nothing but worse even since that picture in the original thread taken just a few days ago. It is itchier and spreads when scratched. Does this look like P to anyone? (Again, I have my derm appointment, just not 'till next week)

(sorry for more unpleasant pictures)

left hand front


left hand back


right hand front


right hand back

[kptruck]

Originally Posted by Bentcorner

I don't think you have psoriasis. I've got psoriasis on my hands and it does not look at all like what you have. Here is what mine look like:

http://bentcorner.com/wp-content/15j...hand500365.jpg

It looks like you have red itchy bumps, not scaly plaques. I'd go see a dermatologist and request a patch test to see if you are sensitive to anything.

I think its different for different people. Mine is pustular and whats on his hands is exactly what mine is but mine is much much worse.

[Bentcorner]

Originally Posted by kptruck

I think its different for different people. Mine is pustular and whats on his hands is exactly what mine is but mine is much much worse.

Really? Did you have a patch test? If mine looked like that, I'd want to rule out contact dermatitis, because that's exactly what it looks like. I used to work in a large photo lab and when people had been working around the chemicals too much, that's what they would get. It looked just like these photos.

Even with my plaque psoriasis, I've had two different patch tests. First I had the smaller T.R.U.E. test (14 different substances I think) and then a bigger, more detailed test. I don't remember how many different substances that one had, but my entire back was covered.

Personally, I was hoping for good ole' dermatitis because that can be cured by simply avoiding the substance that you are sensitive too. With psoriasis there is no cure unless you count the sweet release of death.

[MikeK]

It's always a good idea to get checked for contact dermatitis, etc. Mourningdove (who doesn't post very often these days) developed allergies that sound very similar to contact dermatitis. She shared her story in these threads:

http://talkpsoriasis.org/showthread....hlight=allergy

http://talkpsoriasis.org/showthread....hlight=allergy

http://talkpsoriasis.org/showthread....ighlight=shoes

http://talkpsoriasis.org/showthread....oes#post349883.

Here's an extreme example of someone -- who is a doctor! -- who suffered needlessly for years because he was repeatedly misdiagnosed: http://talkpsoriasis.org/showthread....highlight=itch.

I hope this helps.

Mike

[DEBAK]

Try over the counter Claritin (or generic Loratadine at Walmart for 4.00). My derm says benadryl will make P worse however I know several folks have posted on here that it helps them. I turned out to be allergic to atarax via patch test done and the claritin gives me more relief than anything else Ive taken. The ice helps as well. I find if I pop the blisters it helps to stop the itching..and doing so does not cause it to spread. Good Luck

[kptruck]

No I didnt have a patch test done, but Its isolated to the palms of my hands and feet. And my feet dont really get anything on them, well they do now ie moisturizers by the gallons, but yea, if you look back at some of my first posts on the site I have pics in them and you can see, tiny blisters popped up everywhere on my palms. If you look at his pics, the ones he first posted, you can see hald a dozen or so blisters on his palm, thats exactly the same way mine starts out. My P comes in waves, I break out, I peel, break out, peel over and over. I have a couple of days in between peeling and breaking out again normally. Right now Im peeling all over but instead of staying clear for a day or two Im already breaking out again. Now, I did by my own choice, once I got my new topicals, I decided to ride out the last breakout without using anything for it. I did on 2 occasions use my halobetasol ointment but thats been it. Now Im using Keflex, Im going to use one of my topicals tonight most likely to try to keep my breakout for getting so severe.

I got off subject sorry! Ive seen some people with Plague P that looks like quarter sized red dots and some with fist sized rings, seems to me everyone can be different. But his derm will know what to test and whats going on better than any of us or at least better than me!

[charly]

So sorry that you are having such misery. I have pustular psoriasis that was orignally on my hands and feet. It is now on my legs and arms as well as on my scalp. As with Kptruck my P looks like what your pics show. I really don't know what contact dermatitis looks like but I was misdiagnosed with contact dermatitis for 6 months before I was told it was actually PP.
As for the itch, what helps me is to keep a wash cloth that has been in ice water on my hands or to hold an ice pack to calm the itch. I put vaseline on it and then gloves over them. While that is soaking in I hold an ice pack in my hands.
I hope you find something soon that helps you.

KP- I am going to try some of your suggestions. I like the one about the oatmeal sack.

[lynniedab]

When my hands feel like I want to put then in a shredder I will hold them under cold water. I will take a napkin or paper towel that is cold and wet and hold it on my hands and I have gone to bed with an ice pack. It not only takes the itch away it numbs the hand and helps get you past the itching. I have found that Banana Boat after tanning lotion With Aloe is the best cream for me. You don't get the thick leathery feel just soft.

I know how bad the itching can be So I hope this helps you

[joe1234]

Thanks for the support and advice everyone.

My hands are doing much better. ...and I did use the "freeze numb" technique when my hands were bad, it did help a lot.